If the contracts remain the same then Burke will start signing them. One of the major reasons he hasn't is Bill Daly came out and warned GMs not to sign these deals and that there could be major restructuring to how the cap is calculated, making the players on these deals worth much more on the cap.

For instance, if the cap changes and Shea Weber's cap hit is now $12M a year, Philadelphia can't cry foul because they have been warned by the NHL not to sign these deals and that there will be changes. This is why Burke does not sign them.

However, I think there are now simply too many of them to not grandfather them in. The NHL simply has to change their rhetoric and allow them to be calculated the same way, otherwise it will destroy the competitive landscape of the league. Sure, they warned the teams and a few listened, but it has gone too far now so you can't follow through with those threats.

I think Burke thought they would and that he would be in the catbird seat, but now it has just gotten too out of control for the NHL to follow through with that kind of punitive change.

Such a change has to be collectively bargained anyway. The League can make all the threats it wants. They cannot unilaterally make changes.